Relief device for water systems.



No 838,394. PATENTBD DEG.11, 1906.

L. w. ,BGGLE'STON. RELIEP- DEVICE FOR WATER SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.11,-1906.

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, 1 L. W. EGGLESTON. RELIEF DEVICE FOR WATER SYSTEMS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 11,1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

- Application filed February 11,1905. Serial No. 245,218.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS VVATsoN EG- GLESTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Appleton, in the county of Outa gamie andState of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Relief Device forWater Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to relief-valves or pressure-regulators for watersystems. It is intended to be used especially in connection withwater-heating systems.

The object of the invention is to produce a device of the classdescribed which will operate to maintain a substantially constantpressure and temperature for the Water throughout a water system.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my pressure-regulator orrelief-valve in connection with an expansion-tank and showing aconnection to a water-heating system, and Fig. 2 is a vertical centralsection taken through the relief-valve or regulator and on an enlargedscale. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a building and showing awaterheating system with which my invention has been incorporated. Thisview is largely diagrammatic, as will appear.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the pipe which issupposed to lead from the water-heating system. This pipe is preferablyconnected through a horizontal pipe connection 2 with my valve orregulator 3. The valve or regulator 3 comprises a tubular body 4, whichis attached at its lower extremity to a bowl 6. The connection with theexpansion-head 5 does not open communication into the interior of thesame, but is made into a boss 7, which is formed with a chamber 8, intowhich chamber the pipe connection 2 leads. The expansion-head 5 ispreferably of substantially the form shown and provided with a pair ofinclined transverse baffle walls or plates 9, the purpose of which willappear more fully ereinafter. The interior of the expansionhead 5 is incommunication with a main tube 10, which passes downwardly therefrom andwhich is preferably disposed centrally within the body 4 aforesaid. Tothe lower extremity of this main tube 10 a union 11 is As indicated inFig. 2, the nipple 12 is I open and so is the central tube 13, so thatcommunication is opened from the interior of the bowl 6 to the interiorof the expansion-head 5. The bowl 6 is preferably formed beneath thenipple 12 with a well or pocket 14., which is of reduced capacity for apurpose which will appear more fully hereinafter.

From the upper side of the expansion-head 5 an expansion-pipe 15extends, and this leads to an expansion-tank 16, which is located at aconvenient distance above the valve 3, as shown. The side of this tank16 is preferably provided with a sight-gage 17, affording means forfinding the level of the fluid contained therein.

Communication is made between the interior of the tube 13 and the maintube 10 by means of an opening 18, which is formed at the union 11.

Within the bowl 6 a quantity of mercury 19 is placed, the level of whichwill be substantlally at the level 20 when the device is not inoperation. As the pressure rises in the firing up the mercury will risein the tube and will eventually reach the level of the expansion-head,as indicated in Fig. 2. It should be understood that as the pressurerises the mercury column in the tubes will rise very quickly. Once themercury-level has arrived at the upper extremities of the tubes 10 and13 a substantially constant pressure-column will be maintained, due tothe relatively large volume of the head 5. From this arrangement itwould follow that the device would operate to establish and maintain asubstantially constant pressure in the system sufficient to support amercury column of the height indicated. If, however, the pressure in thewater system should continue to rise beyond its normal point, themercury-level would begin to rise at the bottom of the ex pansion-head5, and if this operation is continued sufficiently eventually the lowerextremity of the nipple 12 would be reached by the descending water, andwhen this occurred the bubbles of water would pass through under theedge of the nipple 12 and rise through the tube 13.

They would of course pass to the I surface of the mercury in theexpansion-head 5. In this way, although a substantially constantpressure in the water system would be maintained, a relief is offeredfor excess water forced through the relief device by the increasingpressure. Of course if this escape of water into the expansion-headcontinues for some time the head would become full of water and themercury-level proportionately depressed. Eventually, if this processcontinued the water would pass up through the expansion-pipe 15 into thetank 16. Of course the water which would pass into and above theexpansion-head would operate to assist the mercury column to support thepressureobtaining in the system. At the same time, as the water isrelatively very light as compared to the mercury, a substantially normalpressure for the system will be determined by the mercury columnnormally supported. Under normal conditions there will be little or nowater in the expansion-tank.

The presence of the central tube 13 is desirable, for the reason thatwhen the bubbles of water pass upwardly in the manner described theywill not operate to drive all of the mercury out of the connectionbetween the bowl and head. This follows because the annular spacesurrounding the central tube 13 and lying within the main tube 10 willnot be subjected to the violent disturbance due to the bubbles, andconsequently a constant column of mercury will be maintained in thisspace.

Evidently the bafHe-plates 9 afford means for preventing the mercurypassing upwardly into the expansion-pipe 15 on account of the violentbubbling or ebullition which will take lace at the mercury-level in theexpansionead. As the operation of my system depends, primarily, upon theheight of the mercury column and not that of the water, it is immaterialwhether the expansion-tank 16 be placed at a great elevation or not. Itis also immaterial what is the position of the regulating device withrespect to the water system. It may be located in a basement or cellaror in a garret, as may be desired. In one aspect this relief device maybe considered as a mercury seal, affording means for supporting anypressure desired, through which seal displaced water may escape into theexpansion-tank.

It has been suggested above that the relief device may be placed in anyposition with relation to the water systemthat is, at any elevation withres ect to the same but of course it should e understood that when thedevice is in a depressed position with respect to the water system themercury column will be necessarily increased in height so as to supportadditional pressure arising from the height simply due to the height ofthe water-level in the pipe system.

While I prefer to use mercury in connection with the relief device onaccount of its very high specific gravity, any ther fluid substance ofhigh specific gravlty may beused in the same connection. Special at-'tention is called to the feature of placing the expansion-tank beyondthe relief device, which enables the water expelled from the system toreturn automatically as soon as the pressure in the system becomessufficiently reduced. In this connection it should be understood that ifthe unusually high pressure which may occur in the system is notmaintained the mercury which is forced into the body of the tube 10 willcommence to return to the bowl 6. In this way the bottom of the watercolumn above the mercury column will eventually come to the low level ofthe edge of the lip 12, and this water will escape under the lip andreturn to the bowl above the surface of the mercury therein.

The presence of the pocket 14:, referred to above, should now beunderstood to be desirable, for by reason of its reduced capacity thedepth of mercury at the lower mouth of the tube 13 will be longermaintained. This is desirable, as it virtually increases the quan tityof mercury available for the column.

In Fig. 3, 21 represents a building in which a water-heating system isprovided, the said system comprising a water-heater 22 of any suitableform from which a riser-pipe 23 extends upwardly leading to radiators 24and 25, placed on the floors 26. The riser-pipe 23 extends above theradiators and connects with the pipe 2 aforesaid, which leads to theexpansion-tank 16. From the radiators 24 and 25 a return-pipe 27conducts the water back to the heater.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A relief device of the class described, comprisinga pair of tubes in communication at their lower extremities, a bowlcontaining a mercury-bath in which said tubes dip, and means foradmitting fluid-pressure to said bowl.

2. A relief device of the'class described, comprising a tubular body, abowl attached to the lower extremity thereof and adapted to containmercury, a pair of tubes communicating at their lower extremities anddipping in said bowl, means for admitting fluidpressure into said bowl,and a head receiving the upper extremities of said tubes andcommunicating therewith.

3. A relief device adapted to be used with a water-pressure system, andcomprising a pair of tubes, and a mercury-bath in which said tubes dip,one of said tubes having an inlet depressed below the normal level ofsaid bath and through which water from said system may escape, saidtubes being adapted to maintain normally a mercury column therein.

4. A relief device adapted to be used with a water-pressure system,comprising in combination a substantially vertical tube, an inner tubearranged therein, a union connecting said tubes at their lowerextremities, said inner tube having communication with said outer tube,a mercury-bath into which said union dips, and means for subjecting thesurface of said bath to the pressure of said system whereby a mercurycolumn may be sup ported in said tubes.

5. A relief device adapted to be used in a water-pressure system,comprising in combination a tubular body, a bowl attached to the lowerextremity thereof and containing mercury, a pair of tubes within thetubular body and in which a mercury column may rise from said bowl, anexpansion-head attached to the upper extremity of said tubular body, andcommunicating with the interior of said inner tubes, and means forsubjecting the surface of said mercury in said bowl to the pressure ofsaid water system.

6. A pressure and relief attachment for a pressure hot-water heatingsystem, comprising a receptacle containing a mercury-well, a chamber incommunication with said receptacle, a tube extending from said well tothe chamber to allow the formation of a mercury column under pressurefrom the system, the arrangement being such that a predeterminedpressure may be maintained in the system, and water may pass from andreturn to the system through the mercury under sufficient variation fromsaid pressure.

7. A relief device of the class described,

comprising a tube to contain a mercury column, means for connecting saidtube to a water system whereby the pressure of said system may form andsupport said column, and an extension beyond said tube into which watermay escape through said mercury column, and from which the escaped watermay return through said mercury column.

8. In a device of the class described, a mercury-chamber, a boilerconnection extending laterally from the mercury-chamber, a bulbsupported above the latter, a pipe depending from said bulb into themercury-chamber, and a tank connection at the upper end of the bulb theparts being so arranged as to allow water to pass and repass through themercury.

9. In a device of the class described, a mercury-chamber, a boilerconnection extending laterally from the chamber, a bulb supported abovethe latter, a pipe depending from said bulb into the mercury-chamber, atank connection at the upper end of the bulb, and a plurality ofdeflectors within the latter, the parts being so arranged as to permitWater to pass and repass through the mercury.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS WATSON EGGLESTON.

Vitnesses:

W. R. WATERS, B. M. OHAPPELL.

